74. Rabbi Elazar was on his way to visit his father-in-law, Rabbi Yosi, the son of Rabbi Shimon, son of Lakunya, accompanied by Rabbi Aba. Another man was walking behind them driving their donkeys. Rabbi Aba said, Let us start a discussion on the Torah, as the time and place are propitious and can help us complete our journey.

75. Rabbi Elazar opened the discussion with the phrase, "You shall keep My Shabbatot" (Vayikra 19:30). Come and see: the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world in six days. And on each day He revealed His actions and gave that day His strength. But when did He actually reveal His actions and give His strength? This happened on the fourth day! Because the first three days were all undisclosed and nothing appeared. But as soon as the fourth day arrived, He revealed His action and shared His strength with all!

76. So Fire, Water and Air -- THE THREE SFIROT CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET,THE SECRET OF THE THREE FIRST DAYS -- which are the supernal elements, were kept in suspense and the full action of creation was not revealed until the earth, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF MALCHUT, disclosed them. Only then was the work of each one of them known ON THE FOURTH DAY.

77. You may say that this was on the third day, as it is written, "Let the earth bring forth grass...And the earth brought forth grass" (Beresheet 1:11-12). HERE YOU MAY SAY IS THE REVELATION OF THE CREATION OF THE EARTH, WHICH IS MALCHUT, OCCURRING ON THE THIRD DAY! AND HE REPLIES: Although it is written that this occurred on the third day, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF TIFERET, it actually was on the fourth day, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF MALCHUT. The fourth day became part of the third day so that TIFERET AND MALCHUT were combined and inseparable. But afterward, on the fourth day, He revealed His actions and his workmanship of each and every one OF CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET. The fourth day is the fourth leg of the supernal throne, WHICH IS BINAH, WHOSE FOUR LEGS ARE CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT.

78. So all the actions, whether it be those of the first THREE days, WHICH ARE CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET, or the last THREE days, WHICH ARE NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD, were dependent on the day of the Shabbat, WHICH IS MALCHUT, FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE UPPER THREE SFIROT AND HER ENTIRE PERFECTION. Therefore, it is written, "And on the seventh day Elohim ended (or completed) His work which He had done" (Beresheet 2:2). This refers to the Shabbat and the fourth leg of the throne. THAT IS TO SAY, THE SHABBAT AND THE FOURTH DAY ARE BOTH ASPECTS OF MALCHUT. NEVERTHELESS, THE FOURTH DAY IS MALCHUT, WHICH IS INCLUDED WITH ZEIR ANPIN AT THE LEVEL OF HIS TIFERET FROM THE CHEST UPWARD. AND THE DAY OF THE SHABBAT IS THE SECRET OF MALCHUT AT THE STAGE OF MATING FACE-TO-FACE WITH ZEIR ANPIN.

79. And if you ask, If it is so, THAT THE SHABBAT IS MALCHUT, then why does it say, "You shall keep My Shabbatot," which refers to two?" HE REPLIES, The Shabbat of the Evening of the Shabbat, WHICH IS MALCHUT, and the Shabbat of the actual day of Shabbat, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN WHO SHINES UPON THE SHABBAT, WHICH IS MALCHUT, are in unison as one. THERE IS NO SEPARATION BECAUSE THEY ARE UNITED FACE-TO-FACE AND CALLED TWO SHABBATOT!

80. The one who was DRIVING THE DONKEYS AND following behind said: And what is the meaning of "and reverence My sanctuary?" (Vayikra 19:30). Rabbi Aba replied: This applies to the sanctity of the Shabbat. Then he asked: And what is the sanctity of the Shabbat? He said to him: This is the sanctity that is drawn down from above, FROM ABA AND IMA. He said to him, If that is so, then you have made the Shabbat without any sanctity OF ITS OWN! FOR sanctity prevails only when it comes from above, FROM ABA AND IMA. Rabbi Aba answered: It is indeed so, as it is written, "And call the Shabbat a delight, the holy DAY of Hashem honorable" (Yeshayah 58:13). So the Shabbat is mentioned separately, as is the holiness of Hashem. He then asked him: What then is the "holiness of Hashem?" Rabbi Aba replied: This is the holiness that descends from above, FROM ABA AND IMA, and rests upon it, UPON THE SHABBAT. He said, If holiness, which descends from above, is called "honorable," it may seem as though the Shabbat itself is not "honorable." Yet it is written, "and shall honor it" (Ibid.), SO THE SHABBAT IN ITSELF IS HONORABLE! Rabbi Elazar said to Rabbi Aba, Let this man speak, because he has something wise to say, something of which we know nothing. They said to him, Say what you want to say!

81. The man began with the verse, "My Shabbatot" (Vayikra 19:30). The particle et IS MENTIONED HERE to include the Shabbat limits, which are 2,000 cubits in every direction. For this reason, the verse added THE PARTICLE et. "My Shabbatot" IN THE PLURAL FORM refers to both the higher Shabbat and the lower Shabbat, which are joined as one and are both concealed.

82. Another Shabbat, however, remained unmentioned and felt humiliated. She came forward and said, Master of the Universe, from the day You created me until now I am called 'the Shabbat,' and there is no day without a night! He told her: My daughter, you are the Shabbat and I have called you 'the Shabbat,' but now I am adorning you with a more glorious crown. He then sent forth a proclamation stating, "And you shall revere My sanctuary" (Vayikra 19:30). And this is the Shabbat of the eve of Shabbat, which is awe, where awe prevails. But who is this Shabbat? The Donkey Driver REPLIES: This is the one that the Holy One, blessed be He, included TOGETHER WITH HER, saying: "I am Hashem" (Ibid.). "I" IS THE SECRET OF MALCHUT, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE EVE OF SHABBAT, "HASHEM" IS THE SECRET OF ZEIR ANPIN. AND BY THE WORDS, "I AM HASHEM," THEY WERE COMBINED TOGETHER. And I heard this from my father, who emphasized THAT THE WORD et symbolizes the Shabbat limits. My Shabbatot, IN THE PLURAL, denotes the circle and the square within, which are two, MEANING THERE ARE TWO SHABBATOT. According to these two, there are two hallowed prayers that we should recite. One starts with Vaychulu (Beresheet 2:1-3), and the other is the Kiddush. The passage of Vaychulu consists of 35 words, and in the Kiddush that we perform there are also 35 words. COLLECTIVELY, they add up to seventy names, with which the Holy One, blessed be He, and the Congregation of Yisrael adorn themselves.

83. And because this circle and this square are My Shabbatot, they are both included in the word Keep, as it is written, "You shall keep..." But the upper Shabbat is not included in 'Keep', but only in 'Remember', because the supernal King, WHO IS BINAH, is completed by 'Remember'. And this is why, BINAH is called the "King to whom Peace belongs." As His Peace is 'Remember'. And so there is no controversy above.